The Freight Transport Association (FTA) has come out in favour of the draft Brexit withdrawal agreement and is calling on MPs to vote in favour, on basis that there will be frictionless trade in the logistics sector.

“If the UK’s complex supply chain is to be protected,” said FTA deputy chief executive James Hookham, “it is vital that a deal is reached with the EU.” He stressed that a No Deal outcome to negotiations is not an option as “so much depends of the nation’s economic success depends on the maintenance of a successful, resilient supply chain.”

“Logistics and supply chain managers who would struggle to keep essential supplies flowing if the UK leaves the EU on 29 March 2019, and goods suddenly become subject to new customs declarations and duty payments and to conformity checks and inspections at the EU border,” said Hookham

The trade association believes that the Withdrawal Agreement will allow for frictionless trade to continue beyond 29th March next year until at least the end of 2020 when the FTA believes that a new free trade agreement with the EU will be completed.

“Frictionless trade always was and remains FTA’s Brexit goal and conversations at number 10 last night confirmed that this is an urgent priority for the government’s negotiating team.  What is clear, and what I and other business leaders at the event hammered home is that No Deal is No Option if Britain is to continue trading efficiently with Europe and the rest of the world.

“While the next two weeks of political manoeuvring will undoubtedly be complicated,” said Hookham, FTA and other businesses “are stressing to the Prime Minister that a No Deal outcome would be bad for the logistics industry, and bad for business as a whole.”